5150 vs 5150II decision

[scorpion82]

Hey guys, I am wondering if selling my 5150II is worth it to try to find a 5150 head. I hear a lot about the modding potential in the standard 5150. Is the difference subtle enough that it is not worth pursuing this. My 5150II is in excellent shape and has a matching slant cab. Can anyone give me advice on this? The tone of mine is kinda sterile. Had new Ruby 6L6GCMSTR power tubes put in, did the bias mod and retubed the preamps with a Sovtek LPS in the P.I. slot, Tung-Sol in V1 and Penta Lab 12AX7's in the other slots. Thanks, Bob

 

[JakeAC5253]

The 5150II is better if you want to tweak the rhythm channel to your desires as it has a tube devoted entirely to it, otherwise sell the II, get the 5150, and don't think twice about it. Killer fucking amp. The lead channels of the two amps are somewhere around 13 components difference (or so I hear) and that's just one channel. I do prefer the sound of the original, so the difference is definitely worth it in my opinion. Probably one of the reasons why I own one so I'm biased.

 

[NinjaRaf]

I sold my 5150 for a 6505+. I like the II/+ better...the original was too loose in the low end for me. It just depends on what you are looking for. The original is more low mid focused and has a looser low end.

 

[EchelonEngineering]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

 

[NinjaRaf]

JSX is a killer amp too, but I need more gain than the crunch channel has, and I like the more aggressive voicing of the 6505+ better.

 

[EchelonEngineering]

JSX is a killer amp too, but I need more gain than the crunch channel has, and I like the more aggressive voicing of the 6505+ better.

The JSX also has an Ultra Channel (3 channels total) and I just use that ultra channel for a lead channel cause its almost too much gain for what I do. For me the crunch channel (gain and volume dimed) is a great rhythm sound and then I'll just use a screamer type pedal (my own design or something close) for a boost.

 

[droptrd]

I like the 5150 better myself. But the same tones can be had from each. I wouldnt go through the hassel. Unless youre really gassin

 

[JakeAC5253]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

Could be the mods? I know personal taste has a lot to do with it as well, but the 5150 really needs no mods other than the right tubes and maybe the 10pF cap mod (if you so desire to do it, it's a taste thing as well). Otherwise it's a perfect circuit for what it does, which is grossly saturated and compressed yet tight and defined metal guitar sound Based on your comment about gain and saturation, it sounds like it's just not for you

P.S. I don't use the word 'tone' anymore, because it's a lying cheating whore of a woman.

 

[Tawlks]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

Don't worry about getting flamed dude, it's a fair opinion. Opinion's are like assholes in that everyone's got one.

 

[Tawlks]

Hey guys, I am wondering if selling my 5150II is worth it to try to find a 5150 head. I hear a lot about the modding potential in the standard 5150. Is the difference subtle enough that it is not worth pursuing this. My 5150II is in excellent shape and has a matching slant cab. Can anyone give me advice on this? The tone of mine is kinda sterile. Had new Ruby 6L6GCMSTR power tubes put in, did the bias mod and retubed the preamps with a Sovtek LPS in the P.I. slot, Tung-Sol in V1 and Penta Lab 12AX7's in the other slots. Thanks, Bob

I would just mod it, the clean channel on the II/+ is a fair bit better anyway, the seperate EQs are useful as well. Modding it will give you the best of both worlds. I own a 5150 II and I think it's pretty great, but doesn't fit my style totally, I'm selling it for a Jet City.

There's so many threads/articles about the differences, but I'll sum it up for you.

The 5150 sounds more ballsy, there's more low mid, more bottom end, it's looser. The footswitch is a piece of plastic shit. More gain on tap

The 5150 II is more upper mid based, less bottom end, it's tighter. The footswitch is better. The cleans are better. Seperate EQs

If it's sterile then maybe try a bias mod (increasing the bias, get a tech to do it if you're not confident enough) or changing some of the preamp valves. Also, it seems the majority of people don't like 5150 cabs, sell it and get a Marshall with v30s or v30/t75s in an X pattern and there's a very good chance you'll prefer it. It's probably down to the cab more than the head.

See if you can go to a shop and A/B them. Lots of shops will have both. If you have a friend with a 5150/6505 that you like more, it may be down to several other factors such as cab, valves etc. A shop owned 6505/6505+ will have the same cab, same valves etc giving you a fair comparison.

 

[alxdgr8]

I liked my old 5150II much better than my singers 5150 that I've been using lately. Cleans are so much better (actually usable). Don't get as good of a crunch out of the 5150II, but the clean makes up for it. And the footswitch is so much better with the 5150II.

 

[droptrd]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

Don't worry about getting flamed dude, it's a fair opinion. Opinion's are like assholes in that everyone's got one.

People are sensative about their 5150s around here.

 

[Tawlks]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

Don't worry about getting flamed dude, it's a fair opinion. Opinion's are like assholes in that everyone's got one.

People are sensative about their 5150s around here.

True, but he should say what he means without fear of flaming.

 

[droptrd]

true

 

[Mailman1971]

true

Stop yelling at me......

 

[scorpion82]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not sure what I'll do, but if I can find a 5150 head in great shape and find a trade deal I may let it go or just sell mine outright. Thanks, Bob

 

[headlessdeadguy]

I liked my II better.

 

[Rocket Sauce]

Sorry guys. Hope I don't get flamed for this but I prefer the crunch channel on the JSX to any of the 5150s. My brother has a highly modded 5150 gen 1 and somehow to my ear the JSX (unmodded) sounds just as good if not better. Of course this always starts an argument between me and my brother but hey! what are brothers for lol.

The JSX is cool, but I have yet to see one sell for $350. I have seen many 5150's sell for $350 though

Would you be willing to PM me when you see these deals as I'd love to buy them at $350 and make a profit flipping them for $550.

 

[droptrd]

true

Stop yelling at me......

Stop Looking at Me Swan!

 

[madrigal77]

I prefer the original. It has more low mid growl and it's darker sounding. It just has more balls.